(CNN)The United States launched a military strike Thursday on a Syrian government target in retaliation for their chemical weapons attack on civilians earlier in the week.

On President Donald Trump's orders, US warships launched between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian government airbase where the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks were based, US officials said.

"Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the air field in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched," Trump said during short remarks to reporters at Mar-a-Lago. "It is in this vital national security of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons."

He added: "There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and ignored the urging of the UN Security Council. Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed and failed very dramatically."

Trump on Syria's Assad: 'Something should happen'
A US defense official said the strike was targeted on runway, aircraft and fuel points. The missiles were launched from warships in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Strikes are over "until another decision is made," the official said.

The strikes are the first direct military action the US has taken against the leadership of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the country's six-year civil war and represent a substantial escalation of the US' military campaign in the region, which could be interpreted by the Syrian government as an act of war.

Trump was very affected by the images of dead children among the civilian casualties in the Syrian chemical weapons attack and felt compelled to act, a senior administration official said.

The US began launching airstrikes in Syria in September 2014 under President Barack Obama as part of its coalition campaign against ISIS, but has only targeted the terrorist group and not Syrian government forces.
Trump met with his national security team before his dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Mar-a-Lago Thursday, where he made the decision to pull the trigger on the biggest military action of his presidency, an administration official says.

He sat through dinner with the President Xi as action was under way.


Defense Secretary James Mattis has been updating Trump about the missile strikes in Syria following his dinner with Xi, according to a US official.

Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Trump's national security adviser Gen. H.R. McMaster were with Trump at Mar-a-Lago at the time. Vice President Mike Pence remained in Washington, where he returned to the White House after dinner.

Trump's order to strike the Syrian government targets came a day after he said the chemical attacks -- whose grisly effects were broadcast worldwide where videos captured in the immediate aftermath -- "crossed a lot of lines for me" and said he felt a "responsibility" to respond.

Tillerson: No doubt Assad is responsible 01:39
"I will tell you it's already happened that my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much," Trump said.
"When you kill innocent children -- innocent babies -- babies -- little babies with a chemical gas that is so lethal, people were shocked to hear what gas it was, that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line, many, many lines," Trump said.

Trump's decision to launch the strikes, the most significant military action of his young presidency, came nearly four years after the US first concluded that Syrian forces had used chemical weapons in Syria. The Obama administration concluded that Syria had violated the "red line" Obama had set a year earlier in discussing the use of chemical weapons, but ultimately decided against military action against Syria in favor of a Russian-brokered deal to extricate the country's chemical weapons stockpile.

Trump at the time said the US should "stay the hell out of Syria" and urged Obama on Twitter to "not attack Syria" in the wake of the 2013 chemical attack.

"There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your 'powder' for another (and more important) day," he tweeted in September 2013.
Trump repeatedly criticized Obama during his presidential campaign for not acting on his "red line" threat, but the real estate mogul also argued against deepening the US' military involvement in Syria, particularly as it related to Assad.
Trump argued last May in a TV interview that he would "go after ISIS big league," but said he did not support targeting Assad's regime, arguing the US has "bigger problems than Assad."
Syria's six-year civil war has claimed the lives of at least 400,000, according to a United Nations estimate released a year ago. More than 5 million Syrians have fled the country and more than 6 million more have been displaced internally, according to UN agencies.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/donald-trump-syria-military/index.html

Trump finally reacts to the chemical attack in syria and orders 50-60 tomahawk cruise missiles to strike a syrian airbase...this dude is trying 2 be a bad ass...would have been badder if he didn't inform the Russians to evacuate the area

Cc: Lalasticlala Mynd44

Putin has overplayed his hand . It will be a big blow now to lose a friend in the Trump administration

Adminisher:
Putin has overplayed his hand . It will be a big blow now to lose a friend in the Trump administration

True that...expecting to see Moscow's reaction to this...i know the Assad guy will run to Putin crying and complaining like a fat kid who just lost his chocolate

Trump is a Raw Wrestler and a Conservative Capitalist. Terrorists run.

orisa37:
Trump is a Raw Wrestler and a Conservative Capitalist. Terrorists run.

Lol

Adminisher:
Putin has overplayed his hand . It will be a big blow now to lose a friend in the Trump administration

lol


Putin was never a friend of Trump,


Putin never overplays his hands ,
Remember Georgia, Crimea , Eastern Ukraine? ,
He always gets the outcome he wants


If the Ediot Trump wishes to put American boots on the ground to overthrow Assad,


The Russians will just pack up and leave their bases in Syria for home,

And the ensuing chaos will have only one person and country it will be blamed on ,
Donald Trump and America


Overthrowing Assad won't end this war , it will only lead to more chaos in that region

hungryboy:
lol


Putin was never a friend of Trump,


Putin never overplays his hands ,
Remember Georgia, Crimea , Eastern Ukraine? ,
He always gets the outcome he wants


If the Ediot Trump wishes to put American boots on the ground to overthrow Assad,


The Russians will just pack up and leave their bases in Syria for home,

And the ensuing chaos will have only one person and country it will be blamed on ,
Donald Trump and America


Overthrowing Assad won't end this war , it will only lead to more chaos in that region

Americans are tired of wars. Trump move is a wrong move. What Assad did was wrong but I would love for the countries in that part of the world deal with him. Any time America get involved in the Middle East, it turns out ugly for Americans. I believe that part of the world is cursed. America infrastructures needs to be upgraded and that will cost Trillions of Dollars. The money being expended on the useless wars can be used to fix America's aging infrastructures.

Using the life of millions to play world politics

Lucasbalo:
Americans are tired of wars. Trump move is a wrong move. What Assad did was wrong but I would love for the countries in that part of the world deal with him. Any time America get involved in the Middle East, it turns out ugly for Americans. I believe that part of the world is cursed. America infrastructures needs to be upgraded and that will cost Trillions of Dollars. The money being expended on the useless wars can be used to fix America's aging infrastructures.

like a wise man said,


Trump was elected because he promised to end American interventionist wars in the Middle East and other parts of the world,
And promised to drain the swamp,
Seems the swamp drained him


Dude is even planning to conduct an airstrike on North Korea too,


Seems
Americans elected George Bush on steroids as their President

hungryboy:
like a wise man said,


Trump was elected because he promised to end American interventionist wars in the Middle East and other parts of the world,
And promised to drain the swamp,
Seems the swamp drained him


Dude is even planning to conduct an airstrike on North Korea too,


Seems
Americans elected George Bush on steroids as their President

I am against all wars as long as America is not attacked or threatened. The useless wars America gets into is business to some people. MIC and the war Hawks are to be blamed. I can guarantee you that overwhelming majority of Americans do not support Trump's action. Iraq and Afghanistan wars almost bankrupt America and we are still feeling the effects of the war up till now. War is not the answer. Been watching the Cable News and see how some people are congratulating Trump for these umb move. As much love as I have for Obama, I criticized him for not withdrawing our military from their foreign posts.

Syria - the battleground for pre-WWIII

I don't like Donald Trump but I salute him for this singular action. No time for bullshit or messing around with failed diplomacy. Break international law and get hit very hard. With this, I am sure Russia will rethink its support for Assad. The Syrian regime played easily into Trumps hand and he's going to squeeze it for all that it's worth. This is what Obama should have done way back when Assad first used the chemical weapon.

Lucasbalo:
I am against all wars as long as America is not attacked or threatened. The useless wars America gets into is business to some people. MIC and the war Hawks are to be blamed. I can guarantee you that overwhelming majority of Americans do not support Trump's action. Iraq and Afghanistan wars almost bankrupt America and we are still feeling the effects of the war up till now. War is not the answer. Been watching the Cable News and see how some people are congratulating Trump for these umb move. As much love as I have for Obama, I criticized him for not withdrawing our military from their foreign posts.

John McCain and Lindsey Graham who have been attacking Trump since he took office, even congratulated him today,

Sane minds like Rand Paul ,
told him to hold back on attacking the Syrian Armed forces,

That America wasn't attacked,
That he should come to Congress for approval ,
If he wanted to take any Military action,


But he refused to listen

Even his alt right supporters on forums like breitbart and sub reddits are bashing him for failing to keep his promise of non Intervention in other countries affairs

Something is still not right about this story, We need to ask ourselves the obvious question, What does Assad Gains from launching a chemical attack on syria?, why would he do that when he knows what the response would be like.

hungryboy:
lol


Putin was never a friend of Trump,


Putin never overplays his hands ,
Remember Georgia, Crimea , Eastern Ukraine? ,
He always gets the outcome he wants


If the Ediot Trump wishes to put American boots on the ground to overthrow Assad,


The Russians will just pack up and leave their bases in Syria for home,

And the ensuing chaos will have only one person and country it will be blamed on ,
Donald Trump and America


Overthrowing Assad won't end this war , it will only lead to more chaos in that region

There would be no war, Putin has all the aces, remember Trump is still trying to convince Americans the Russians had no hand in his Election.

seunmsg:
I don't like Donald Trump but I salute him for this singular action. No time for bullshit or messing around with failed diplomacy. Break international law and get hit very hard. With this, I am sure Russia will rethink its support for Assad. The Syrian regime played easily into Trumps hand and he's going to squeeze it for all that it's worth. This is what Obama should have done way back when Assad first used the chemical weapon.

you are not sire right because the Russians have eliminated the means for this strike to happen again

RealLordZeus:
Using the life of millions to play world politics

Lol..who do u mean?

Shaytun:
Something is still not right about this story, We need to ask ourselves the obvious question, What does Assad Gains from launching a chemical attack on syria?, why would he do that when he knows what the response would be like.

Assad never launched chemical attack in Syria. He launched an attack on location where chemical weapons were stockpiled by the terrorists. But MSM changed it into what you just read so attacking Syria all over again will be justified.

Only bright minds can read in between the lines.

GogetterMD:
Syria - the battleground for pre-WWIII

Seriously...and how do u know that?

ollah2:



Assad never launched chemical attack in Syria. He launched an attack on location where chemical weapons were stockpiled by the terrorists. But MSM changed it into what you just read so attacking Syria all over again will be justified.

Only bright minds can read in between the lines.

If u say so, why will he launch an airstrike on a rebel chemical facility when he knows the outcome and the fact that all fingers will still point out to him?

EricBloodAxe:


If u say so, why will he launch an airstrike on a rebel chemical facility when he knows the outcome and the fact that all fingers will still point out to him?

It was an attack on the terrorist and not on the chemical facility. This is just a case of big boy showing his muscles. US knows she's losing the war and she wants to be directly involved in it again.

I remember Trump old tweet to Obama, "don't attack Syria". Exactly what he promised during his campaigns.

ollah2:


It was an attack on the terrorist and not on the chemical facility. This is just a case of big boy showing his muscles. US knows she's losing the war and she wants to be directly involved in it again.

I remember Trump old tweet to Obama, "don't attack Syria". Exactly what he promised during his campaigns.

So if he launched an airstrike on the terrorists like u said then who detonated the chemical weapon?

Mind u intelligence reports has it that the chemical bombs were dropped on the same location twice by syrian forces. I must ask u, how do the rebels get these deadly chemical nerve agents which are termed WMD? Because the rebel groups are funded and rely strongly on western govts for weapons and supplies.

U don't jst stay in a location​ in the desert and prepare nerve agents except you're a govt like the syrian regime. If it were easy to prepare chemical weapons on the streets then isis would have devastated the whole world with it.

EricBloodAxe:


So if he launched an airstrike on the terrorists like u said then who detonated the chemical weapon?

Mind u intelligence reports has it that the chemical bombs were dropped on the same location twice by syrian forces. I must ask u, how do the rebels get these deadly chemical nerve agents which are termed WMD? Because the rebel groups are funded and rely strongly on western govts for weapons and supplies.

U don't jst stay in a location​ in the desert and prepare nerve agents except you're a govt like the syrian regime. If it were easy to prepare chemical weapons on the streets then isis would have devastated the whole world with it.

The Syrian air force destroys a terrorist (AQ-affiliated) weapons facility that appears to have been used to manufacture & store sarin, so what does the US do?

Attack Syria??

ollah2:


The Syrian air force destroys a terrorist (AQ-affiliated) weapons facility that appears to have been used to manufacture & store sarin, so what does the US do?

Attack Syria??

U don't know that neither can you prove that as a fact.

EricBloodAxe:


U don't know that neither can you prove that as a fact.

That's what happened

EricBloodAxe:


So if he launched an airstrike on the terrorists like u said then who detonated the chemical weapon?

Mind u intelligence reports has it that the chemical bombs were dropped on the same location twice by syrian forces. I must ask u, how do the rebels get these deadly chemical nerve agents which are termed WMD? Because the rebel groups are funded and rely strongly on western govts for weapons and supplies.

U don't jst stay in a location​ in the desert and prepare nerve agents except you're a govt like the syrian regime. If it were easy to prepare chemical weapons on the streets then isis would have devastated the whole world with it.

Let'sgo over this again

A Brutal chemical attack happen in Syria.

Syrian Government Response: It was as a result of An airstrake against terrorist weapon facility(That is to store Sarin).

Rebel/Terrorist Response: The syrian airforce drop it Chemical weapon on us.

UN Response: We are investigating the matter.

USA Response: Bombarded syrian airfield and kill 7 government forces.

Shaytun:
Something is still not right about this story, We need to ask ourselves the obvious question, What does Assad Gains from launching a chemical attack on syria?, why would he do that when he knows what the response would be like.

Knows what response? It's not the first time he's done it. It's just the first time there's been a response. And it's clear he obviously miscalculated that the presence of Russian troops in his country fighting on his side would deter any military response. Major fail on his side. Trump is no pushover.

hungryboy:
lol


Putin was never a friend of Trump,


Putin never overplays his hands ,
Remember Georgia, Crimea , Eastern Ukraine? ,
He always gets the outcome he wants


If the Ediot Trump wishes to put American boots on the ground to overthrow Assad,


The Russians will just pack up and leave their bases in Syria for home,

And the ensuing chaos will have only one person and country it will be blamed on ,
Donald Trump and America


Overthrowing Assad won't end this war , it will only lead to more chaos in that region

Trump is no Obama. The American defence establishment is in solid hands now. Putin's bullying days are over for at least this four year period. Have you seen the current military budget in the US? Trump is just getting started. As far as the Middle East is concerned, if the US acts, they get blamed. If they don't act, they still get blamed. Trump is on the right path thus far.

Shaytun:


Let'sgo over this again

A Brutal chemical attack happen in Syria.

Syrian Government Response: It was as a result of An airstrake against terrorist weapon facility(That is to store Sarin).

Rebel/Terrorist Response: The syrian airforce drop it Chemical weapon on us.

UN Response: We are investigating the matter.

USA Response: Bombarded syrian airfield and kill 7 government forces.

For every action there's a reaction... there's no proof that the target was a rebel store house used to store sarin. If it were so then the syrians should have gone to the UN with proof.

Besides nerve agents are not chemicals u just put together using a bunsen burner and tubes, u need a laboratory with standard materials and procedures.

Mind u most of these materials used in the preparation of chemical agents are banned. So tell me how possible it is for rebel units to process such WMDs.

The syrians should recognise that Obama is nomore in power, Trump is not someone with a calculative mindset, he works instinctively.

Al Assad should better not keep his hopes any longer on the battle weary russians or the manipulative Iranians...once beaten, twice shy.